


I Still Don't Even Know

by planiforidjit



Series: I Have No Idea [2]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: A MOTHER FUCKING SEQUEL, A little bit of violence, Boston, Case Fic, Derek Hale's hairy thighs, Established Relationship, I don't know what else, I guess that's pretty obvious, Kid Fic, M/M, Nobody Dies, Professor Stiles, Top!Stiles, Writer Derek, a tiny bit of torture, alternating pov, bottom!Derek, no dead babies, sterek, that was a mistake, the baby's name is Lucy Hale, the real love of my life, there will probably be sex, they're raising a tiny baby wolf together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-07-19 13:10:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7362664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planiforidjit/pseuds/planiforidjit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yeah, but what happened to Leonardo?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Oh my god everything is so perfect jfc

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, hey, it's a sequel to I Just Don't Even Know. Um I'm going to do the same thing I did with that one and just write it. I don't have a plan except like it'll be so fluffy and I'm guessing there will be sex because I looooooove writing sex scenes. Dicks will be getting sucked all up in this ish. 
> 
> Anyway, if you haven't read I Just Don't Even Know (or, like me, don't remember everything that happened) you should read it too!

Stiles is pretending to do dishes. But really he's just listening to Derek put Lucy to bed. Which is what he does every night that Derek is home because it’s literally the sweetest thing that’s ever happened to him. 

Derek’s nearing the end of a story about how his mom became alpha of the Hale pack. And it does involve some death and gore and Derek chokes up every time when he gets to the part where his mom kills the wendigo that killed his grandmother. It’s definitely not appropriate for children, but apparently for Derek it’s much worse to swear in front of a kid than it is to tell them about werewolves setting monsters on fire. 

Lucy, thankfully, isn’t scared of much. She giggles at the most inappropriate parts. 

"My mom was the alpha of the Hale pack," Stiles hears Derek telling Lucy. "She was the best alpha Beacon Hills has ever had. And you're going to be just as good as her when you're the alpha." 

Lucy laughs. " _Noooooooo_. I'm little." 

"Not for a while. But one day you'll be big and strong, just like her." 

Lucy growls and Derek laughs and Stiles melts. He should be used to this by now. It's been more than two years. Lucy is going to be three in less than two months. Derek has been this cute and sweet the whole time and Stiles needs to not die every time he says something about his mother or how perfect Lucy is or when his eyes go all soft and sweet. It’s just that he’s still not used to how fucking cute it is. 

After Stiles graduated and was offered a job as an adjunct (with potential for a full professorship and tenure) at BU they moved into the first floor of a brownstone in Boston. It has a back yard and a bedroom for Lucy and a guest room for Stiles’ dad. 

In theory Stiles and Derek are planning a wedding, but Stiles is teaching way more than he can handle while trying to publish and Derek is doing the stay at home dad thing while writing and would just get married in the back yard if it was up to him. They'll probably get married in the back yard. It's a nice back yard. 

"Okay," Derek says. "One more story and then we're going to bed." 

Derek is also trying to sell the children’s book he wrote for Lucy. Despite the popularity of Derek’s mystery series publishers aren’t too keen on picking up a children’s book about a werewolf who attempts to murder his uncle, but makes friends and learns some stuff about himself on the way. 

Derek is a little bitter about it. But he reads drafts to Lucy and at this point she begs for it. 

“What story do you want?” Derek asks even though probably everyone that follows Derek’s Snapchat (and Stiles _knows_ this is an amazing thing) and Instagram knows what she’s going to ask for. 

“The one,” Lucy usually has to pause because she gets easily distracted by everything. “The one with you and papa.” 

Which is to say Derek’s children’s book because maybe it’s this thinly veiled romance between him and Stiles. Publishers’ other complaints are that they can’t have a grown man so obviously pining over a teenager in a children’s book. 

Stiles is actually really smug about that. 

“Okay,” Derek says. “Once upon a time there was a very lonely beta werewolf.” 

“Daddy!” Lucy shrieks. 

Stiles tries to get through the dishes this time. And he gets there eventually, but Derek is coming out of the bedroom with his newly marked up pages in his hand. 

"Papa," Derek says, sliding in behind Stiles and putting a hand on his back. He presses a kiss to Stiles’ cheek. ”It's your turn." 

"You're the main event. I'm just the backup." 

Derek shrugs. "Can't help that I'm so good at this." 

"You're kind of an asshole." 

"No swearing." Derek kisses his cheek. "Now get her to go to sleep." 

Lucy is big on rituals. Kira, who has most of the credits towards a degree in psychology, has deemed that it's because of the trauma she suffered from when they were attacked and the brief time she had been kidnapped. Derek is sure she doesn't remember it, but Kira insists that it can still do damage. 

So every night Derek tells Lucy two stories, then sings whatever song she requests. Usually she says "again" about six time and Derek gives in because when they don't it's difficult. Stiles then goes in and he tucks her in and reads her a story. She doesn't ask him to sing and it's just as well. Then he kisses her head and tells her he loves her and then turns out the light. 

This time Lucy scrunches her little nose at him when he comes in. 

“You’re stinky,” she says when Stiles sits down on the edge of her big-girl bed. It was a whole thing. 

“ _You’re_ stinky,” Stiles says back. He makes a big show out of sniffing her face and Lucy giggles, pushing at him with her chubby baby hands. “I was doing dishes.” 

Lucy nods and she pulls _The Dark_ from the stack of books next to her bed. “This one.” 

“You sure? It’s a little scary.” 

“I’m brave.” 

“Yeah you are.” 

She falls asleep before Stiles finishes and he presses a kiss to her forehead before getting up. He turns on her wolf nightlight and turns off the overhead light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are so nice, right? 
> 
> WRONG
> 
> Something bad is definitely going to happen maybe. Eventually! 
> 
> Also the story that Lucy and Stiles read is The Dark by Lemony Snicket and if you don't know it then you should. Because it's great. Anything illustrated (or written) by Jon Klassen is automatically my favorite thing. And Lemony Snicket just makes it that much better.


	2. Cute dads and cute babies are the best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is so fluffy it made me want to vomit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long. I just got my MFA! Yay! So I've been doing that for the last two weeks. I think I can count writing fan fiction as work, right? Anyway I'm also an irl writer, and I have a deadline in December. So things are probably going to be slightly slow updating, even though the chapters are hella short. But this is a very good break from the very heavy thing I'm working on so I'm going to keep going with this thing. 
> 
> Also like baby things wise, Lucy is only just nearly three so she's moving around a lot and stuff for that age. BUT she's a werewolf so I don't even care.

Mornings at the Hale-Stilinkski (they're still figuring things out with their names) house are busier than Stiles imagined they could be before moving. Lucy goes to daycare three days a week so Derek can get writing done and Stiles drops her off on his way to class. And even though Derek usually doesn't get dressed until after Stiles and Lucy leave it is somehow always chaos.

When Stiles gets out of the shower, Derek is making him and Lucy bagged lunches. He's only wearing sweatpants and he has what looks like jelly smeared across his shoulder. 

"Peanut butterrrrrrr," Lucy growls, staggering around the room, attempting to pull a sweater on over her unruly hair. She doesn't have the dark, straight Hale hair anymore. It kind of fell out a year ago. And now she has these wild light brown curls that Derek has a hard time braiding and brushing. It is the source of most arguments and still Stiles' favorite thing in the world. She has no Stilinski genes, but the curly hair makes it look like she could. 

"I'm making you a salad," Derek says, chopping up leftover grilled chicken. 

"Dude," Stiles groans. "I'm like barely thirty. I don't have to—." 

"You have heart issues in your family," Derek says. "I'm not taking any chances." 

Stiles will probably get a side of curly fries at the school cafeteria. 

He pulls his towel tighter around his waist and presses a kiss to Derek's cheek. "You're the best." 

"Go get dressed," Derek says. "Lucy will be late for school." 

"We're making flowers!" Lucy shouts through the sweater that might be stuck around her head at this point. She has a truly large head. 

Stiles tugs the sweater down and helps her put her arms through the holes. 

"Papa!" she shrieks. "You need clothes too!" 

"This demanding thing is a Hale trait," Stiles says, heading into the bedroom. 

When he's dressed and packed for school he heads back into the living room where Lucy is all ready to go with her little buckle shoes and blue backpack. There's a clip in her hair in an attempt to keep it all under control. The clip is failing. 

Derek presses Stiles' lunch box into his hands and kisses him. "Don't buy curly fries at lunch." 

"You're trying to kill me." 

"I'm trying to do the opposite of that." Derek kisses him again and Lucy makes an embarrassed noise. "Maybe when you get back we can, you know, discuss the release party and maybe potential wedding venues." 

"I got prices on the library and the public gardens," Stiles says. "But I'm open to other options. Maybe that beach you based the first scene from book one on."

"I love you," Derek says. 

Stiles grins. Every time it feels amazing and unreal and so good. Things never worked out this well for this long and Stiles isn't taking any of it for granted. "I love you more." 

Derek pulls Lucy into his arms and she squeals. "And we love you most." 

They both press kisses to Lucy's cheek and she pushes them away with chubby hands. She doesn't mind kisses really, she just hates when they're too slobbery. Which is ridiculous since she's the most slobbery kisser of them all. 

Derek sets Lucy down and Stiles takes her hand. 

"Let's go," Stiles says. "Tell daddy you love him." 

"I love you," she says growls a little at Derek. But it's an affectionate growl. "Let's go, papa!" 

"Okay," Stiles groans. "We're going." 

"I'll see you two later," Derek says. "Maybe if I finish a draft and you don't eat curly fries we can get pizza for dinner." 

"What does Lucy have to do?" Stiles asks. 

Derek thinks on it, scratching his beard. "Lucy has to remain cute. It'll be tough, but I think she can do it." 

"I think so," says Stiles. 

Lucy snorts and buries her face in Stiles' thigh. 

"Bye, Der," Stiles says, giving Derek one last kiss and heading down the front steps. 

"Bye, daddy!" Lucy shouts. 

Derek waves and Stiles knows that he waits at the door like he always does. Until he can't see them anymore. 

Lucy talks in broken sentences the whole way to school and Stiles nods and listens. They're learning about pedestrian safety in school so they have to pause at every crosswalk or Stiles gets scolded. 

Boston doesn't have one pack like Beacon Hills does. There are many. And more move to the city every year. There are full moon runs on the cape every month and pack parties and get togethers. They’ve only been to a couple since moving and of course Derek is awkward and Lucy has bitten three people, but they’re doing okay. They’re getting there. 

Lucy goes to a special preschool for all kinds of supernatural creatures. She’s in a class with were-coyotes and were-panthers and were-sharks (they have the hardest time of it). They have plenty of space to run around and exercise their strength. The goal is to prepare them for the world of public school and they have a pretty good track record. No five year olds wolfing out during playtime and scaring all the humans. 

Stiles carries Lucy through the doorway, which ends up being a fight because she’s clawing at him to get down and join all the other toddlers playing in the kitchen set at the back of the big room. He and one of the teachers, Miss Annie, help her pull off her sweater and hang up her backpack before she sprints away from them.

Miss Annie puts her hands on her hips and huffs, blowing her bangs out of her face. “You’ll be here this afternoon?” 

“Yeah,” Stiles says. He wants to call Lucy over to give him a kiss goodbye, but it doesn’t look like she cares. Typical. 

“We should maybe discuss what your plans are for her birthday,” says Miss Annie. “Typically parents bring in cupcakes, but it is also the day after Halloween, so they might be a little candied out. Will she be dressing up? We do a costume parade.” 

Stiles bites the inside of his lips. Getting Derek into Halloween has been a fight. There’s a lot of baggage there. He gets it. But also they have to let things slide sometimes. Especially when things are as adorable as Lucy wearing a pumpkin costume. 

“She’ll probably dress up,” Stiles says. “And I think we’ll still do cupcakes for her birthday. She loves cupcakes.” 

Stiles blows kisses at Lucy and she ignores him and he leaves. The daycare isn’t far from BU and Stiles heads towards campus. He’s really starting to love Boston, but it’s already much colder than Beacon Hills ever got. And somehow much more humid. 

He shivers and pulls his jacket tighter around himself. He turns down the side street for his building and someone shouts his name. 

He turns, expecting a student, and instead finds Leonardo. 

Before he can react something cold touches his forehead and he falls. 


	3. Lydia! She's here! She's great! She's so pretty!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting again! This thing will be short and take me two years to write probably. Who knows what's going to happen? Not me! 
> 
> Also Pinterest boards count as research. Ask anyone.

At four, Derek's phone rings. He hasn't stopped writing since Stiles and Lucy left eight hours ago and it's been amazing. He's figured out so much. And maybe six of those hours were spent looking at clothes Henry and Declan might be wearing and making a Pinterest board, but that all counts as research. 

He feels accomplished so it's okay to answer his phone. 

"Mr. Hale?" Miss Annie’s usually serene voice is clipped. A child screams in delight in the background. But Derek hears something else. The little rumbling growl of his daughter. 

"What happened?" he asks. 

"Lucy was supposed to be picked up half an hour ago." 

Derek checks his text messages. There's nothing from Stiles. It's only the second month at his job, but Stiles wouldn't forget to pick up Lucy. 

"Have you heard anything from your partner?" Miss Annie asks. Derek want to correct her and say husband even though it's not technically true. 

"I haven't," Derek says. "I'll—I'll be there in a few minutes." 

"I'm sure he just got caught up at work." 

"Yeah. I'm sure." 

Derek isn't, of course, nothing is ever that simple with them. 

—

Derek calls Stiles four times and, when he doesn't answer, Derek calls Lydia as he heads towards his car. He'd walk, and with parking in Boston it's not like driving is quicker, but he's not sure where he's going to need to go with Lucy once he gets her. 

"Derek." Lydia never sounds happy to hear from him. If it's Stiles it's all high pitched laughing and fast talking and Derek knows they made out at least once and Stiles was maybe in love with her so a small part of him hates her for all of it. He suspects she hates him just for hating her. 

"Stiles didn't pick up Lucy from school. He's not answering his phone. I don't know what to do. We're supposed to be talking about the wedding and the release party and I can't get in touch with him. He wouldn't just leave Lucy. He wouldn't leave us. There has to be something wrong." 

"Did you call his office at the school?" 

"No. I—he didn't answer his cell phone. He hasn't texted me all day and I thought it was just because he knew I needed to work, but I haven't heard from him, Lydia." 

"Okay, Derek, calm down. I'll call the school to check on him. You go pick up Lucy without having a heart attack or crashing your dumb car and then come here and we'll come up with a plan." 

Derek digs his fingers into his thighs. “Have you—have you felt anything? Have you heard anything?” 

“No,” she says. “And there’s nothing on the scanners.” 

Derek is _not_ going to cry in public. ”Lydia, I can't—." 

"It's okay. No matter what happens, we've already survived way worse." 

Derek nods. She's right. "Yeah. He's okay." 

"And really. He could just be stuck at work." 

Derek nods. "Right. Yeah." 

"And Lucy is safe." 

"She is." 

"So all is good." 

"Yeah." 

—

Of course all is not good. He gets a text on his way into the daycare from Lydia that just reads: Stiles never showed up to work. Come here.

Derek walks into the daycare center and looks for Lucy, who is sitting alone in the back of the preschool room, growling at a bunch of multi-colored blocks. When she sees Derek she jumps up, launches herself at him using all of her strength. He catches her in his arms and she nuzzles against his neck. 

“Daddy.” She lets out a little, sad howl and god damn is it cute. 

“It’s okay,” Derek says. 

Miss Annie presses her lips together. “Is he alright? Mr. Stilinski never called us.” 

Derek runs a hand through his hair, shifts Lucy to his other hip so he can really look at Miss Annie. “He didn’t come into work this morning. We’re—it’ll be fine. We’ve been through worse.” 

“I haven’t heard—there aren’t any… _hunters_ in the area.” She whispers the word like Lucy might understand. 

“I know,” Derek says. “I’ve got a banshee keeping an eye on things in Cambridge. She keeps an eye on things for us.” 

“That’s handy.” 

“It is,” he says. He shifts Lucy again and she rubs against his neck. “You ready to go see Auntie Lydia, Lucy?” 

Lucy just whines because she knows that it’s not a good thing. This is like when she goes over for nail painting and movie watching. This is serious. 

“She’ll probably be absent tomorrow,” Derek says to Miss Annie. “I’ll try to call in if I can. Don’t worry about us, though. If there’s a danger in the area to everyone I’ll make sure to let you know.” 

Miss Annie nods. “Don’t be an idiot, Mr. Hale.” 

Derek just gives her a wave before leaving. Of course he’s going to be an idiot. 


	4. Well, fuck

Stiles wakes up in what he’s pretty sure is a basement. He shifts so that he can sit up and rests his head against the cool wall. He feels overheated, feverish. He needs water and cuddling probably.

Where the hell is Derek? _God_. Why is everyone so useless when he's the one missing?

He can't draw a rune since his hands are bound, but he tries to do some vocal magic. He whispers something to untie his hands. But when he tries his wrists burn.

A spell probably. To keep him from getting away. 

He struggles to remember what happened. He was on the street? Going to work? He didn't have Lucy with him so she has to be safe. 

She has to be. 

He doesn't know how long it's been. Maybe Derek doesn't even know he's missing yet. Maybe it's only been a couple of hours. It feels like it's more than that. He's too sore for it to be less than a few hours. 

For fuck's sake, he should have told Derek to get him that watch for Christmas. If only he could find his goddamn phone. 

There was blue light? Cold? And of course his thoughts immediately go to Leonardo, but how is that even possible?

Didn’t Leonardo die? Or did he just go missing?

It was definitely Leonardo. He remembers that now.

He could really use a phone or a way out or anything. He could use anything other than what he has.

His eyes adjust to the dark a little. He is in a basement. Or a storage room in a basement. It looks a little like a cell. Everything is caged in, like it’s sectioned off for other apartments in the building, but the rest of the storage rooms are empty.

He screams for help anyway.

He screams until his throat hurts and his eyes water and there’s a creak and a metalic clang at the end of room like a door opening.

A sharp line of light is thrown against the concrete floor and a shadow fills it.

“There’s no one else here, Stiles.”

Well Leonardo definitely isn’t dead.

“Hey!” Stiles shouts. “Fuck you, man! Help! Help! Help me!”   
  
Leonardo chuckles and the door shuts. There’s a click and a light goes on overhead, bathing the basement in flickering yellow light.   
  
“The whole building is empty,” Leonardo says. He approaches the bars of Stiles’ cell and leans against them. He looks a lot less chill and attractive than he did when Stiles first met him. His hair has grown out straggly, his eyes are a little wild.

“That’s impossible. This is Boston.”

“It’s a new building. No tenants until January. I could just leave you here to rot.”

“Leonardo. Just—what do you want from me? Let me go.”

“You killed my hunters,” he says. “You killed everyone I knew and you ruined my life.”

“First of all dude, you ruined your own life when you decided to fall in with evil hunters. Like, who the fuck even goes after a baby?”

“I’m going to ruin your life too,” he says. “And then I’m going to kill you.”

“Why don’t we talk about this? If you let me go, I won’t go after you. I’ll let you walk.”

“Everyone knows who I am now. I can’t go anywhere without some shifter or hunter chasing me out.”

“I can help you change your appearance.”

“Can you really?” Leonardo doesn't look like he's actually interested. More like he already doesn't believe Stiles can do it. 

“Yeah.” Stiles tries to lie with conviction and Leonardo gives him a sad smile like he knows.

“Do you think I’d just walk when I’ve got you here? When I’ve been looking for you for years.”

“I don’t know, man. Come on. You know that if something happens to me you’re going to have the wrath of my whole pack down on you.” Stiles tries to think frantically of a way to get out of his bindings the old fashioned way. No magic. He just needs to find something sharp. “You don’t survive this.”

“Let’s see how long you can survive this,” Leonardo says.

“What? What does that mean?”

“Let’s see how long you last down here.”

“What? I—Leonardo, you can’t just leave me down here? A contractor will come by. Someone will find me.”

“I’ve thought of everything,” Leonardo says. “I’ll check on you tomorrow. See how you’re doing then. Twenty four hours without food should have you pretty rough. And maybe after that I’ll bring your little werewolf family down to you. See how you feel when I kill them.”

“If you even attempt to hurt them, I will rip you apart.”

“I think you’ll have a difficult time of that.”

Leonardo opens the door and flicks off the overhead light. The door shuts behind him with a very final sounding clang, leaving Stiles alone in the dark again.

He rests his head back against the wall.

"Well, fuck."


	5. If Derek was a drink he'd be a glass of whiskey that someone lit on fire and threw a lemon peel into

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by me wanting a drink

Derek sits on Lydia's couch with Lucy pulled tight to his lap. He doesn't know what to do. He called Scott and John on his way over and explained to them what was happening.

John's already on his way to the airport. He was coming for the release party anyway next week, but Derek feels bad. Like maybe John doesn't trust him to save Stiles or Lucy.

"Calm down," Lydia says. "You're freaking Lucy out."

Derek looks down and Lucy looks up at him, ears a little pointy and eyes a little gold. He presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"Everything is okay," he says more to himself than to her.

"It's okay," Lucy says, leaning in further and rubbing the top of her head against Derek's chin. "I love you."

Lydia makes a choking noise.

"I love you most," Derek says.

"So," Lydia says after a moment longer. She backs away from her computer. "Someone tweeted about thinking that saw two men disappear out of thin air. I mean it was some stoner kid and it ends with #toohigh. But it could be a lead. Blue light and two guys disappear. Does that sound familiar?"

Derek thinks and shakes his head. "Blue light?"

"Yeah? I mean it could just be magic."

"I don't know."

"Have you guys been threatened at all?"

"No. We're—even the magic community—you know. They're all really nice."

She sighs. "No one dislikes Stiles?" 

"Everyone loves him. He's so lovable." Derek's heart clenches a little. "I don't know where to start."

"I don't know what else we can do tonight short of canvassing for Stiles. I'll call the cops to tell them he's been missing but they can't do much in less than twenty-four hours." Lydia stands up from her seat. "When is Grandpa Stilinski getting here?"

"Not until like five in the morning."

"Okay. Well, we're going to eat something and then we're going back to your apartment just in case something shows up. And you're going to put Lucy to bed and you're going to try to rest."

"Lydia, I can't just—."

"If you don't eat or rest you'll be useless if he needs to. He's not dead. I would know."

"Do you know if he's hurt? Do you know anything?"

She shakes her head. "But probably because he isn't hurt."

Derek nods. "I guess that's good."

"Yeah," she says. "Unfortunately, all the options we do have for finding a missing person rely on Stiles."

"We need a back up plan. We don't know what to do without Stiles."

"No," Lydia says. "And he's—it's hard to think without him. I can't compartmentalize in the same way as him. I can't research and figure this out and push worrying about him to the side."

"I know. Neither can I."

"We're going to figure this out, but you have to take care of yourself and your daughter first."

Derek stands up and hefts Lucy onto his hip. She cuddles against him and closes her eyes. "I used to go days without eating or sleeping."

"We're getting older. More responsibilities. I mean three years ago you didn't have Lucy to love."

Derek shakes his head. "Nope."

"It's better this way, I think." She gives him a little smile, that little reminder that Lydia has never been cold hearted as much as she wants to pretend that she is. "With Lucy to love."

"I think so too."

—

There's nothing at the apartment when they get there except for a distinct lack of Stiles. Lydia immediately heads for the bathroom, throwing over her shoulder that she has to take a shower or the whole day will weigh on her. She also promises to listen to the water for news of Stiles.

Lucy's not having it. What starts as a sniffle turns into a full on tantrum with fur and claws and snarling. She's half wolf and covered in snot and Derek is trying to wrestle her into his arms so she doesn't hurt herself.

" _Lucy_!" he shouts, eyes flashing red and she stops and sniffles and hiccups and starts to shake a little. She scrambles away from him and ducks under a chair. She sucks her fingers into her mouth and stares at Derek with her giant brown eyes.

"You're scary," she says and hiccups again and Derek freezes.

"Lucy," he says again, voice softer. "I'm sorry. Come out."

She pulls her knees up. "I want Papa. Where's Papa?"

Derek drops down to the floor. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Lucy sniffles again, pokes her head out from under the chair. She's human again and she crawls out on her hands and knees to Derek. She stands in front of him and like this they're the same height. She rests her chubby hands on his face and says, "You're scared too."

Derek nods. She wraps her arms around him and Derek pulls her into a deep hug on his lap.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he says, holding on as tight as he can. "I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay."

Derek nods and draws a shaky breath. "I'm going to find him. I promise, Lucy. Okay? You're going to be really brave until then. And do whatever Auntie Lydia says. And then Grandpa is coming tomorrow and you're going to do whatever he says, okay. Especially if I'm not around. It's really important that you follow all the rules."

"Okay."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"Good," Derek says. "I love you so much, Lucy."

"I love you more."

—

Derek's phone rings after he puts Lucy to bed and Lydia is set up in the guest room with her laptop. It's his agent and he would just ignore it, but on top of all this, they're releasing the second to last book next week. The one where Henry may or may not die and they're getting reviews in already along with planning the release party at a bar.

"Derek," she snaps.

"I can't really talk," he says, laying back on the couch and covering his eyes. "We're in the middle of a crisis."

"Well so am I, Derek. Do you even understand what I'm going through here trying to get this set up? Do you prefer gin for Henry or tequila?"

"What?"

"We're making signature character drinks."

"What's in Declan's."

"It's a red wine sangria."

Derek nods. "Okay. That makes sense. Uh, I think Henry might be more into bourbon."

She hums. "Okay. Good thing it's Halloween am I right?"

"Right," Derek says, hating that his release date is Halloween. It means that while they set up, John is taking Lucy trick or treating and Stiles and Derek get to see none of it.

"What's your crisis? Anything I can solve?"

"Not really. Unless you're in with the magic community in Boston."

"Nope. Have you tried asking anyone? I mean weirdos like that love talking about their stuff."

Derek feels like an idiot. Of course they can talk to the local witch community. They were such idiots. It's just that he never goes for them.

"Got it," he says. "Thanks."

"Thanks for the drink advice, my favorite author. I'll talk to you soon. Love you!"

She hangs up before Derek can say anything back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know like really they could probably put Lydia's giant brain and Derek's sappy brain together and figure this out quickly, but PLOT.


	6. Leonardo Suuuuuuuuckssssss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would have been up sooner, but I am re-living high school by burying myself in Drarry fan fiction and I won't be made to feel badly about it.

Stiles has made some progress on the rope around his wrist (and really, Leonardo, rope? People use zip ties now). His restraints may be impervious to a spell but they aren't impervious to good old fashioned hard work. 

Stiles rubs the rope against a stubby metal rod sticking out of the foundation. Probably something that someone forgot to remove or cover. He keeps slipping and cutting himself so it hurts like a bitch, but he's almost there. Not that he can do much, but he has to pee and he'd rather have hands to do that. 

The rope is almost loose. His hands slip one more time and he hisses as the metal digs into his wrist. He'll see if he can use a healing rune once his hands are free. But he's not sure he can do any magic whatsoever in here. 

He really wishes Leonardo had done the whole abandoned building or warehouse thing. Not some place new with so few resources. There's always something handy around for escaping in an abandoned building. 

He gets the ropes loose and lies back on the cool ground. He hasn't been able to lie back for hours now. He's been leaning against the wall, but his lower back hurts and he needs to stretch. Once the pain in his back turns dull, he pushes himself and goes to the bars of his cell. He needs to see what he can do. 

His stomach growls loudly. His head is starting to hurt from the pain and lack of food. He's at that place where it's been so long since he's eaten that he can feel it around his eyes and he might vomit. 

He hasn't eaten since breakfast. He doesn't even know where the bagged lunch Derek made him is. 

_Derek_. 

And Lucy. 

He's been trying not to think about them. About how worried Derek must be. How Lucy must feel it on him. He can't even begin to think that maybe they're hurt too. It makes him want to cry. Makes him tired. 

He can't fight Leonardo like this. Half starved and crying. He could never win that fight. 

God. Derek and his stupid beautiful face and Stiles might never get to see that stupid beautiful face again. Might not get to half plan a wedding with him, uncommitted to any idea except the fact that they were going to get married. Might never drop Lucy off at school. If he dies, her birthday will be ruined forever.

He’s such a dick. 

He thinks maybe this wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t losing a little bit more blood than he anticipated. 

He reaches a bloody hand through the bars and tries to draw a rune in the air. H e feels a little better, like his magic is stronger out there. Like it's just the cell that's warded against it. The rune shimmers a little, messy and weak. But it floats down over Stiles’ wrists, cool like a cloth. It doesn't really stop the bleeding. It's more like a magical bandaid. Stiles really needs magical stitches. Or magical anything at this point. Or regular stitches. 

He tries to unlock the door and his whole body vibrates with the effort of it, but nothing happens. He focused instead on healing his wrist. 

It takes too much out of him to heal the one wrist. He doesn't know when Leonardo is going to be back and he doesn't want to knock himself out when he probably needs to be as strong as he can be. Of course when his wrist is bleeding quite badly—not so bad that he's worried about blood loss, but bad enough that he's feeling a little faint—it's hard to decide what will hurt him the most in the long run. 

He decides that the use of magic probably will and rips a piece of his undershirt and ties up his wrist. 

He pulls off his coat and stretches out on the ground with it beneath his head. He wishes he had a flannel and a hoodie. Those are better in these situations. Maybe he should always wear a hoodie and a flannel to be prepared for kidnappings. Not that he's been kidnapped before really, but it's always better. 

He closes his eyes, ignores the throbbing in his wrist and the pounding in his head, and tries his best to fall asleep. 

Mostly he just cries a little until he passes out. 

—

He's woken up again by the door opening and a familiar laugh. Leonardo's whole existence feels sarcastic and Stiles takes great offense to that. Sarcasm is _his_ thing. 

Stiles sits up and everything hurts from falling asleep on the floor. He doesn't feel better in the slightest, but he's pretty sure he's not bleeding anymore. 

"You got out of your bonds," Leonardo says like he was expecting it. 

"Yup," Stiles says. He inches towards the bars. He can probably aim something at Leonardo from there. He can probably definitely hurt him. 

"Don't try it," Leonardo says. "The little leeway on the magic was my gift to you if you were able to get to it. You can't hurt me. You won't be strong enough." 

Stiles somehow knows that he's right, but he tries anyway. The rune fizzles out after a minute, sounding like a swatted fly. 

Leonardo raises his eyebrows. 

"What do you want?" Stiles says. "I see you didn't bring me anything. So what do you even want?" 

"I'm debating waiting for someone to find you, or going after your little werewolf hubby first." 

"He's not little," Stiles says. "He's giant. And has fangs and claws and has killed people before." 

"Eh. So have I. I've killed plenty of weres, Stiles. I'm not really worried." 

"Why don't we have a fair fight? You let me out and we duel. Old times style." 

"No. I think I'll wait for him to come to you. Maybe he'll bring the baby and I'll finally get to kill her this time. I killed her parents, you know." 

Stiles tries very hard not to react, but also he'd really like to try out a spell for exploding people. 

"Do you think you'll ever tell her that your not really her family. That her family was murdered and you took her." 

"Derek is her family by blood and she's my daughter. It doesn't matter if we don't share genes. I love her." 

"People close to Derek die," Leonardo says slowly. "People close to you die too. She'll just be another one to add to the list. I guess I'm going to kill Derek too. So you'll have to figure out how to live with that." 

"You're not going to hurt them." 

"No? Are you really confident in that?" 

"Yes," Stiles says. "I'm confident." 

"Well, we'll see when he gets here won't we. I mean, if he figures it out and if you live that long, right?" 

He turns to go and Stiles tries to fire spell after spell at him. They bounce off his back and Leonardo turns off the light and shuts the door, once again leaving Stiles in the dark. 


	7. Derek Would Actually Never Murder Anyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The witches are actually my aunts (my mom and I call them the Trifecta of Evil).

Derek doesn’t really sleep at all. Not that he really expected to. Lucy crawls into his bed early in the morning and pokes him in the cheek until he moves. 

"Daddy," Lucy says, really close to Derek's face and Christ her breath smells horrible. He might have forgotten to brush her little teeth last night. ”Grandpa is here." 

Derek sits up. "He's here?" 

“Yeah. Don’t you hear him?” 

The door buzzer has been going off maybe for a while now and Derek doesn’t know how that didn’t wake him up or how he didn’t notice it. Goddamn Stiles distracting his thoughts always. How is Derek supposed to save him if he can’t even notice the buzzer ringing. 

He sniffs the air and he smells crisp fall and California sunshine and stale airplane air and he knows that John is just beyond the door. Derek, pulls Lucy into his arms and swings out of bed to get him. 

John should probably just have a key, Derek thinks as he opens the front door for him. Then this wouldn't be an issue. 

"Have you learned anything new?" John asks, bursting through the door with his bags. "What's going on?" 

"I'm going to visit some witches I think Stiles knows in a couple of hours," Derek says. "That's all I've got." 

"That's it?" 

"We have to start somewhere." 

John takes Lucy because she’s grabbing at him and kisses her on the head. “Should I drop my stuff in the guest room.” 

“Lydia’s in there,” says Derek. “But, uh, if you want to get some rest you can just go into our room.” 

“I don’t think I can rest. Did you sleep at all, son?” 

“A little.” 

“Go rest. I’ll keep Lucy company and make something to eat.” 

Derek nods. He feels a little like he’s in a fog. He hasn’t felt this helpless in a long time. Stiles is probably perfectly capable without him. Derek knows that. He knows that Stiles is stronger and better than ever. Better than Derek. The strongest person Derek knows. 

But if anything happened to him. If Stiles was hurt and Derek couldn’t save him he’d be lost. 

—

John almost insists on coming with Derek to meet the witches, but he doesn’t want to burden Lydia with Lucy and he definitely doesn’t want to drag Lucy around with him. John agrees to babysit, but only with regular text updates and phone calls from Derek. 

So Derek finds himself alone on a couch in a triple decker apartment in Southie surrounded by three witches. They’re like the Southie version of the first scene from _Macbeth_. He’s expecting one of them to use the world “hurlyburly” at some point and he might be disappointed if they don’t. 

They have big hair and thick Boston accents, all in wrap dresses and combat boots. They look like they’re in their thirties, but Derek knows that they’re much older. 

“You’re saying your mate is missing,” one says. 

“Yes,” Derek says. “Stiles Stilinski. He’s a spark. You might know him.” 

Another one hums, tilts her head. “I think we’ve crossed paths. He’s always buying strange herbs at the farmer’s market.” 

“Oh yes,” says a third. “Skinny, attractive? Too much energy and no place to put it.” 

“Fills out a suit jacket very well,” says the second. 

“Yeah,” Derek says. 

“We haven’t seen him,” says the first. “If that’s what you’re wondering.” 

“No—I think—I think someone took him. Do you know if anyone came to the area recently? Anyone that would hurt him?” 

The second witch hums again. “There was a…warlock, I think. Do you know Leonardo Oliveira?” 

Derek sees red for a second. He might flip the little coffee table or punch all the witches in the face even though it’s not their fault. 

“Yes,” he says and prides himself on not roaring or wolfing out. 

“Well he’s been asking around about a spark and a werewolf.” 

“He has been? Did no one think to tell us?” 

“It could have been anyone,” says the first witch. “This isn’t our fault.” 

“No matter,” says the third. “We locate Stiles with a simple spell. Since you’re his mate, we’ll need your blood.” 

“What?” Why didn’t you tell me this at the beginning?” Derek hates witches. He hates everyone right now. He’s going to really have a good time ripping Leonardo’s head off. 

“You wanted to know who might have taken him,” says the second witch. “And now you do.” 

Derek will come back and murder them later maybe. He pulls out his hand and slices it open with a claw. “Let’s start.” 


	8. pain pain pain pain pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is poorly edited (as are most of the things I write), but this is worse than usually because I GOT A KITTEN! He is perfect and I love him. And he likes Cheetos, which is not a thing I meant to discover, but he basically dove for the bag and crawled into it. 
> 
> The whole story is that I had another kitten and she died very unexpectedly a few months ago so I'm very emotional about this and spend most of my time staring at him to make sure that he's still here. 
> 
> He is. 
> 
> Anyway, have some pain and angst.

Stiles is never going to watch Lucy grow up. It has to have been two days. Two days without food and water and there's been some bleeding. It’s all too much. 

He’s going to die and he’s not going to see Lucy go to kindergarten or be in a school play or run on the full moon. He’s not going to get to see her graduate from high school or go to college. 

And he’s not going to get to marry Derek. They’re not going to get old together and maybe adopt another baby that they could name something sentimental. Something after one of their dead friends or family members. 

Erica or Allison. That would be nice. Or Talia or Laura or anything else. Anything. What's Derek's dad's name? They could name a baby after him. Maybe Peter as a joke. 

He isn’t going to get any of that. 

The door to the basement opens and Stiles just isn’t here for more of Leonardo’s taunting. Last time he came in he just stood and drank water in front of him. It’s annoying and insulting and Stiles is too hungry and too tired to deal with it. 

“Stiles?” 

He can’t really sit up anymore, but he wants to. 

"Stiles?" 

“Derek?” his voice is too quiet, he feels like fucking what’s-her-face at the end of _Titanic_ when she’s just whispering for help. And it's really a testament to how shitty this all is that he can't remember that fucking actor's name. She's so beautiful. 

"Stiles?" 

Derek's voice is soft too like he doesn't want to alert anyone to his presence. Derek should use his super sniffer for this. Stiles might smell a little like a corpse though at this poing. 

Fuckin Kate Winslet. 

“Stiles!” 

And then Derek is there, kneeling on the ground, pulling Stiles onto his lap and pushing a water bottle against his lips. 

“Here,” Derek says, pushing hair away from Stiles’ feverish forehead. “Drink this.” 

Derek holds his head up and helps pour water down his throat and Stiles drinks until he feels too sick to stop. 

“How’d you get in?” Stiles asks. 

“Broke the door,” says Derek. He's a perfectly insane fiancé. Stiles has possibly never loved him more. 

“We should adopt another baby,” Stiles says when Derek pulls the water from him. 

“Let’s get you out of here,” Derek says, trying to pull him up. 

“I’m serious Derek. I want another baby and a fucking granola bar.” 

Derek laughs. He drags Stiles up and kisses his forehead. “Come on. Can you walk?” 

“Where’s Leonardo?” Stiles says, swinging his arm around Derek’s shoulders. He already feels better with the water, but his stomach is still cramping from lack of food. At least the fog in his brain has cleared a little. He needs sugar and protein. Like fucking candied bacon or something. 

“I don’t know,” Derek says. 

“That’s a bad sign.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. He’ll just fucking pop out of nowhere.” 

“Good. I’m going to kill him.” 

“Oh, babe, you don’t have to murder anyone for little old me.” 

“Don’t call me babe,” Derek says and kisses Stiles’ head again. 

Stiles’ stomach drops. “Where’s Lucy?” 

“With your dad.” 

“What? What if he went after her? He said he was going to ruin my life. What if he’s killed my dad and Lucy?” 

Derek drags Stiles towards the stairs. “Scott’s there too and Lydia. They’ll kill him first.” Derek helps him up the first few steps. "C'mon, Stiles." 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah,” Derek says, but he’s shit at lying. 

“Call them,” says Stiles. 

“Stiles we need to get you to a hospital.” 

“Derek. Please. I’m going to fucking pass out. Just call them.” 

Derek dogs into his pants for his phone and leans Stiles against a wall on the landing. Stiles waits as it rings and rings and rings one more time and then finally his dad picks up. 

Derek immediately puts the phone on speaker. 

"Is he okay?" his dad asks and Stiles nearly let's out a sob. 

"Yeah," Derek says. "He's alive. You're good? No warlocks coming to kill you?" 

"Not as of yet." 

"Meet us at Mass General," Derek says. "Stiles needs a little patching up." 

"Barely," Stiles argues. 

"He's dehydrated," says Derek. But he's got this soft kid of smile on his face, like it's just typical of Stiles to get kidnapped. Like it's just the cutest thing in the world. 

"We'll see you soon," Stiles' dad says. And then Stiles hears him say, "Lucy, let's put on your shoes. We're going to see your dads." 

Lucy let's put a far away sounding delighted noise and Derek freezes. 

The phone falls from his hands. Stiles' stomach does this horrible sinking thing. 

"Derek?" 

Derek coughs. His body lurching, blood dribbling down his chin.

" _Derek_!" 

It spreads over his shirt. 

He falls. 


	9. Derek Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh come on. It's like you don't even know me.

Derek registers pain first. Pain and then he's lying on the ground, staring up at Stiles who is too weak to do this alone. Stiles was hurt and  _needs_ Derek to save him. He can't do this on his own. 

His phone shut off when it fell. At least he's pretty sure it did. He knows that he'd be able to hear John on the end of the line if he didn't. Right? He can't hear anything.

Oh god. What if he can't hear for some reason? No. He can hear. Stiles is shouting his name, swearing, general universe cursing. So he's not deaf. He's okay mostly. 

"I'm okay," Derek tries to say from the floor, but it comes out as more of a gurgle as more blood dribbles out of his mouth. 

Stiles snorts. "Just stay still. Try to heal yourself.  _Jesus_." 

Stiles tries to pull himself away from the wall, but he needs it to stand. He's too weak. Derek can't protect him. He failed him. He failed everyone.

"Leonardo!" Stiles shouts, actually sounding a little strong. "You piece of shit! Where are you? Where the fuck are you!"

"I told you I'd ruin your life," Leonardo says, manifesting out of the air.

Derek wants to kill him. He wants to taste his blood. But it's more important to knit his lungs back together. To keep himself from falling under. He has to stay above the pain to keep himself alive.

He will probably pass out. Or vomit. It's going to hurt like hell to vomit. 

He listens to Stiles' thrumming heartbeat. To the shaky breaths he takes. Stiles leans towards Leonardo, hands burning with light. It's not something Derek has ever seen before. Definitely new. Kind of great. Maybe a little hot. Stiles is so strong. So strong and perfect and he's going to protect Derek and their family and Derek will love him forever and ever if they survive this. 

Derek shudders a little with another wave of pain. 

"I'm going to destroy you," Stiles says. He takes a step forward and god _damn_ he looks so good. Leonardo throws something blue and bright at Stiles and Stiles blocks it with his hand. "You think you can hurt my family? You think that we'd ever fall apart because of some shitty-ass warlock? You think you're stronger than us?" 

Stiles blocks spell after spell, but he doesn't fire any of his own. And Derek can't help shouting as his skin tries to knit back together, more blood filling his mouth. Stiles isn't strong enough to block spells and use spells at the same time. He needs Derek to rip out Leonardo's throat for him. 

Derek tries to sit. To do something. And God. It hurts. Everything hurts. 

What did Leonardo even do to him? It's like when Peter punched his hands through his chest in front of Stiles and Scott. When he was sure that was it. He was going to die. He didn't. But it's not like Peter cared if he died or not. 

Peter is such a fucking asshole. 

Derek groans when he attempts to move because he can't help it. And Stiles falters a little. 

Leonardo laughs. "He's going to die, Stiles. You can kill me all you want, but he's going to die." 

Stiles doesn't say anything, just presses back into Leonardo's space. Derek can't move. Each time there's a stabbing pain in his chest. Like maybe one of his ribs is sticking through his lung. Or maybe he actually got a little stab to the heart. 

Maybe he actually _is_ dying. 

And then Leonardo, who is still throwing spells at Stiles seems to realize something. "You're too weak to actually fight me, Stiles." 

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Stiles asks through gritted teeth. 

"You're blocking me, but you can't hurt me," he says. 

"I'm wearing you out," Stiles says, but his breath is a little labored. 

"You've gone two days without food or water," Leonardo says. "You've barely slept. You're bleeding. I don't think you're wearing me out. You're wearing yourself out." 

"No." 

Stiles glows a little more and Derek can't help noting that he looks beautiful. He always looks beautiful. But he looks so good right now. Glowing, sweating, saving his family. His pack. Oh god. Stiles is perfect. 

Leonardo throws spell after spell at him and Stiles blocks him until the glow falters a little. Derek keeps trying to push himself up and he keeps falling. He's useless. He doesn't even think he can speak to Stiles he's so useless. 

Stiles stumbles a little and Derek shouts like that'll do something. Leonardo grins, throws something that catches Stiles in the chest and he falls, coughing. He pushes himself up and Leonardo just sends him back down again. 

Derek, seeing no other reasonable course of action, lunges for Leonardo's legs. Leonardo twists something inside Derek that has him coughing up more blood. 

"Please," Stiles says. "Stop. Just—just don't hurt Derek anymore." 

"Why not?" 

"Because I'm asking you to," Stiles says, sounding angry. Derek knows that in reality he's just trying to figure out his next move. 

"So I shouldn't do this?" Leonardo twists his hand, blue light shoots out, hits Derek in the leg and the bone cracks. 

Derek will heal, but it still fucking hurts. He growls and his body is trying to heal the more important stuff first. The stuff that is trying to kill him. 

Stiles shouts, draws a rune quick in the air and it hits Leonardo in the chest, throwing him off his feet. Stiles collapses as Leonardo tries to stand, coughing up blood like Derek still is a little. 

But Stiles…Stiles looks paler than he did before. Like he can barely keep his eyes open, like he's just keeping himself alive. 

Leonardo stands finally, walks over to Stiles. "You're going to kill yourself like that," he says, wiping blood from his mouth. Derek really can't move. His leg is broken and not healing. His ribs are definitely broken. His lungs are maybe not working they way they should be. 

His eye catches John standing in the doorway, gun in his hand. He doesn't say anything, doesn't want Leonardo to turn around. He can't say much without coughing up blood so it doesn't really matter. But he can't give Leonardo the upper hand. He can't let John get hurt too. 

Stiles holds himself up off the ground with his arm. His chest rises and falls, shaking each time he breathes. 

There's a click and more blood and Leonardo falls. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only four more chapters left! And they're mostly written. Though I am moving this week. So I'm kind of expecting this bad boy to be done in the next two weeks? Maybe by the end of this week. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and commenting and leaving kudos! I really appreciate it and love it and love you!


	10. Ugh Gross They're Still Cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I write like too many scenes in hospitals maybe

Stiles wakes up in a hospital room. And it's familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. He's never been to the hospital in Boston before. But they're all basically the same. Beeping machines, quiet people talking in hushed voices, and his dad sitting by his bed. 

"Dad." Stiles is mostly annoyed at how weak his voice sounds. 

"Hey, son," he dad says, leaning forward and taking his hand. "How are you feeling?" 

"Like I got hit by a truck." 

His dad nods. "Yeah. You were a mess there for a bit, kid." 

Stiles squeezes his dad's hand. He's got an IV attached to his arm. He's okay. He'll figure out the rest of the stuff later. 

"Where's Derek?" He isn't too worried. He would know if something had happened to Derek. They're mates after all. That means he knows when Derek is being an idiot and when Derek needs to cuddle and when Derek is hurt or no longer alive. 

Stiles' dad pushes away from the bed and nods towards the other hospital bed occupying the room. Derek is curled up asleep, IV dangling uselessly from the bag. Derek definitely ripped it out.

"He's okay?" Stiles asks. 

"Yeah. But he was healing slowly. They know how to deal with weres here and he refused to rest until he knew you were okay. So they sedated him with probably enough tranquilizers to take down a rhino. He's been sleeping them off. I think he's probably healed by now." 

"And Lucy?" 

"Lucy is with Lydia and Scott. There's a play room here, which seems kind of bleak, but she loves it. So she's there." 

"I bet she's already made friends. Or tried to eat someone." 

"She takes after her dads that way." 

Stiles grins. "She's okay, though." 

"She is. She's mad she can't see you two, but she's okay." 

Stiles reaches out and takes his dad’s hand again. “Good. I’m glad she’s okay.” 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” says his dad, he reaches up and pushes the hair from Stiles’ forehead. 

“God, don’t touch my hair. It must be so gross.” 

“It’s disgusting.” His dad gives him this soft look reserved for when Stiles is hurt. “You’re gross.” 

“Thanks, pops.” He looks down at his feet and wiggles his toes a little. “So Leonardo is really dead?” 

“Really dead. It was a bit of a mess, but I cleared it all up. The police know what’s going on here, you know. They have a special division for it and everything. I spoke with a detective about setting up something similar back home.” 

“Since you have it unofficially anyway.” 

“Exactly.” 

Stiles looks over at Derek, still curled up in the bed next to him. He looks so soft and perfect asleep like that. Stiles loves it. Loves him. 

“Thanks, dad,” Stiles says. “We would have—I don’t know. I don’t know if we would have made it without you. You saved the day.” 

“You were doing a pretty good job there, kiddo.” 

“Just take the compliment.” 

“Okay. I’ll do that.” 

“Thanks.” 

—

Stiles is brought dinner, which makes him realize he still has no idea how long he was out or how long it’s been. But it’s all made better when Lucy comes running in. Derek is still out, still sleeping off his tranquilizers. Lucy tiptoes over to his bed and leans up on her tiptoes to kiss his arm before she runs back over to Stiles and jumps into bed with him. 

He lets out an “oof!” and Lucy giggles. She wraps her arms around him and plants a wet kiss on his cheek. 

“I’m glad you’re okay, papa,” she says and kisses him again. 

She cuddles up next to him and Stiles kisses her hair. He’s probably more in love with Lucy than he’s been in love with anything ever. 

Lydia and Scott come through the door with coffees in their hands and Scott sits on the edge of the bed. “You good, man?” 

Stiles makes grabby hands at the coffee and takes it from him. “Yeah. I’m good.” 

“You know,” Lydia says, staring into her coffee cup, “it seems kind of dumb that you guys are out here and I’m out here and the rest of the pack is back in Beacon Hills.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles says. He sets his coffee down on the little table next to his bed. It is truly horrible. And Lucy attacks his jello cup with fervor. 

“So maybe I should move out here,” says Scott. 

“What? Wait? Really?” 

Scott nods. And then Stiles’ dad is nodding too and he thinks that maybe everything is perfect. “Dad? Really?” 

“Melissa and I have been talking about it,” he says. “I don’t like being so far from Lucy and Derek.”

"What about me?" 

"What about you?" 

“Har har. But really? You’d really do that?” 

Scott nods so hard that his hair starts flopping around. “Beacon Hills will still have Deaton and Malia and Kira and I don’t know if Isaac will come, but he probably will. And then we can be with our pack here.” 

“That would be amazing. Derek will be so happy to hear that. We’d really love that.” 

“Plus,” says Lydia. “It’s not like you can stay out of trouble here.” 

Lucy looks up at Stiles’ dad with her big brown eyes and grins at him, all toothy and a little sharp. “You’re coming _here_? Forever?” 

“For as long as you’ll have me,” says his dad. 

She squeals and launches herself off of Stiles. Her arms wrap around her grandpa’s neck and she peppers kisses all over his face. 

“Yes,” she says. “I love you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I moved! Thanks for all the good lucks and everything. My plan is to finish this bad boy on Saturday (I'm going to post chapter 11 tonight) and then move on to something else with cars and flowers and stuff. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading and leaving kudos and commenting! I really appreciate all of it!


	11. Chapter 11

Derek wakes up to Stiles crawling into his hospital bed with him. 

“Oh Jesus,” Stiles says when Derek moves for him and Stiles crashes a little into his side. 

He smells like pain and thirst and love and warmth and hunger and longing and somewhere a little bit of sadness. 

Stiles settles against his chest and wraps an arm around him. And arm that's bandaged at the wrist. He's assuming the other one looks the same. He may have gotten stitches, Derek doesn't know. But they were infected. He does remember that. 

"Hey, Sleepywolf," Stiles says. 

"More like Sedatedwolf," Derek says. His mouth feels like it's full of pudding. He has always hated pudding. 

Stiles laughs, tugs Derek tighter to him. 

"Should you be in here?" Derek asks, kissing Stiles' dirty hair despite himself. 

"Probably not," he says. "Dangerously low blood sugar and all that." 

"Stiles—." 

"I'm fine for a couple of minutes," he says. "I'm really feeling better. Much less fuzzy. I just—I just want to be with you." 

Stiles runs his hand over Derek's bare chest. No evidence of what happened remains. Stiles still runs his fingers over the spots where Derek bled. Somehow he knows even when Derek barely remembers. 

"Where is everyone?" Derek asks. 

"Lucy fell asleep and my dad took her and Scott and Lydia down to the cafeteria. They'll be back up soon." 

"Okay." Derek kisses his hair again. "I'm glad you're okay, you idiot." 

"Yeah, well I'm glad you're okay, you stupid bastard. I can't believe—I could have gotten out of there. I didn’t need you to come risk your life.” 

"Really? You seemed really out of it to me." 

"I would have figured something out." 

"You couldn't even use magic inside the cell." 

"Whatever. You shouldn't have—." 

"Shut up. Of course I should have. You're practically my husband." 

"You lucky bastard." 

Derek laughs, smiles against Stiles' head. "Yeah. I am." 

"Sap." 

"I'm that too." 

Stiles huffs. "Yeah, same. I love you. Thank you and I'm sorry." 

"What are you sorry for?" 

"Getting kidnapped, bringing trouble here when we thought we were safe." 

"We're not human, Stiles. And we're both stupid and have martyr complexes. We're always going to be in the middle of something. But maybe let's do something easier next time. We can't end up in the hospital every two years. Your insurance through the school isn't that good." 

"We just gotta keep Lucy okay." 

"Okay. I think I can agree to that." 

"She was okay this time." 

"She was." 

Stiles let's out a content hum and relaxes a little more. "Okay. Let's get ten more minutes of sleep." 

"Good plan." Derek settles in and then remembers something. "You want another baby?" 

Stiles hums. "Yeah. Kind of. Lucy needs a little sister or brother." 

“You just started your job.” 

“I know. But my dad and Scott and Melissa are moving out here, I think. We talked about it and they’ll probably want to talk to you about it. But that would be a big help. You know, if we got another one."

“Can we wait until we get married?” 

“Yeah. We can do that.” 

Derek feels all warm in his chest and he presses more kisses to Stiles’ head and cheek. “Okay. After we get married we’ll talk about finding another abandoned werewolf baby.” 

“Or maybe we could get a surrogate or something. Maybe like you could be the dad or something.” 

Derek kisses Stiles hard on the lips. “Okay. That would be nice.” 

“I knew you’d like it.” 

“I love you,” Derek says. 

“No shit.” 

“You’re the worst.”

“Yeah. Whatever. I love you too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last four chapters are just gonna end with sappy shit and you're just going to have to deal with it. 
> 
> The next chapter will have sex! Because that's who I am and I'm not ashamed.


	12. This Is Why This Is Explicit (aka Derek Hale's Thick Hairy Thighs)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sex. And self doubt.

After Lucy is asleep, after Stiles' dad passes out on the guest bed, after Scott collapses on the couch, Stiles drags Derek into their bedroom and shuts the door. He wraps his arms around him and doesn't say anything for as long as he can. 

Derek buries his face in Stiles' neck, his hands come up under his shirt and rub over Stiles' skin. He pulls in a deep breath. 

"You're safe," Derek says, more like he's reassuring himself than Stiles. 

Stiles threads his fingers through his hair. "I am." 

"If you—this is—I don't think we'll ever get away from things like this. It's going to be like this forever." 

Stiles kisses Derek's head. "I know." 

Derek pauses and pulls in a shaky breath. "I understand if—if you don't want to marry me anymore. If it's all too much." 

Stiles pulls away from Derek, but takes his face in his hands. 

"Are you kidding me, Derek? This has been basically my whole life. And you and Lucy, you're—you're everything for me. This would never be too much. Honestly, I'm a little insulted you don't think I can handle it." 

"I hate seeing you get hurt." Derek leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. Stiles runs his fingers over Derek's cheeks and beard. "I know you can handle it, but I don't want to lose you." 

"You won't. You're stuck with me." 

"I love you." 

"I love you more." Stiles presses a kiss to Derek's lips. "I wish I could propose to you again. Better than just over breakfast." 

"It was very you," Derek says. 

He kisses Stiles again and again, running his hands under Stiles' shirt further, up his back and sliding over his skin. Until he's pushing it over Stiles' head and Stiles let's it drop to the floor. Derek winds his arms around him, runs his hands over his back. 

Stiles takes the hint and jumps a little, wrapping his legs around Derek's waist and Derek holds him, sliding a hand under his ass to keep him from falling. Stiles is already halfway to hard and every movement makes him gasp. 

Derek drops him down into the bed and pulls off his own shirt before crawling over him, framing his face with his hands and kissing him. 

"Let me ride you," Derek says, hands going to Stiles' pants. "Are you up for that?" 

"Yeah." Stiles is a little worried that he's shimmying out of his pants too fast. He's too eager. "Derek, Jesus, I always want you." 

"We've been through a lot the last few days." 

"Are _you_ up for it?" 

"Yeah." Derek ducks his head into Stiles' neck and mutters, "I want to feel you inside me." 

"Fuck." Stiles kisses Derek again, running his tongue along his bunny teeth, smiling into it. Despite Derek's words and the blood pounding in Stiles' veins he keeps the kiss slow and deep. "I want that so much, big guy." 

Derek grins a little. He pulls off of Stiles and gets rid of his pants as well. And then he's reaching over to the drawer and grabbing the lube. He presses the little bottle into Stiles' hand as he kisses him. 

"Open me up," he says and bites at Stiles' lips. 

Stiles pours a little too much lube over his fingers, but he always does. It’s been more than two years and he’s still in awe. Every time is amazing. 

He kisses Derek as he slides his fingers over his ass to rest against his hole and Derek pants into his mouth. Stiles isn’t even inside him and Derek is about ready to burst. 

“Tell me what to do," Stiles whispers. 

“Just one,” says Derek, pressing open mouthed kisses to Stiles’ jaw. “Keep going even if I come.” 

“Okay.” Stiles presses a finger into Derek and he jerks forward. “You good?” 

“Yeah,” Derek says. “Come on. Be quick. I want to ride you.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“Werewolf,” Derek says, which Stiles is never really okay with, but he doesn’t say anything. Just resolves to take his time. 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Derek takes Stiles’ earlobe between his teeth. He breathes against his ear. “Let’s talk about the wedding.” 

“Yeah?” Stiles asks, pushing another finger into Derek, reaching up to rub his fingers and make Derek moan loudly into his ear. He scissors his fingers apart. “What were you thinking?” 

“Keep it small,” Derek says, pushing back on Stiles’ finger. He rolls his hips, his cock rubs against Stiles’ and Stiles lets out a harsh breath. “Just us and Lucy and the pack.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles says, pushing in a third finger when Derek feels ready enough. “Where are we going to have it?” 

“The library,” says Derek. He rolls his hips again, cock leaking against Stiles’ stomach. “Come on, Stiles. Go harder.” 

Stiles works his fingers in Derek until he feels okay about pulling out. Derek helps him slick his cock with lube and then he raises himself over Stiles. A breath punches out of his chest when Derek sinks down on him and Stiles tightens his fingers on Derek’s thighs. 

“Wish I could bruise,” Derek mutters, sinking down until he’s fully seated on Stiles’ lap. “Wish I could feel you on me.” 

“Get a tattoo,” Stiles mutters, but it’s hard to concentrate. It hasn’t even been that long, but he’s going to come so fast, just from the way Derek’s cock looks, hard and flushed and dripping beads of pre-come. He reaches out to stroke Derek once and Derek slaps his hand away. 

“Don’t even think about it,” he says. He pulls up off of Stiles and then slowly works his way back down. Stiles thrusts his hips up to meet him in the middle. “You should get a tattoo. Get a triskelion when we get married.” 

“Bad luck.” 

“You’re my mate, idiot. It’s not bad luck. You’re part of my pack.” 

“Should I take your last name?” Stiles asks, thrusting up again and Derek leans forward to kiss him. “Stiles Hale,” he mutters against Derek’s lips. 

Derek’s hands tighten on his shoulders and he tenses for a second before relaxing a little. “Fuck, Stiles. Whatever you want.” 

“You like that?” Stiles asks, thrusting harder. Derek is barely moving anymore, just kissing any part of Stiles he can reach. “You want to be Mr. and Mr. Hale?” 

Derek gasps against Stiles’ neck. “Yes. I want—Jesus, Stiles—I want that. _Fuck_.” 

"Yeah," Stiles says because he can't think of a good response. It's overwhelming. Derek feels so good and hot and tight and the last few days were so emotional. He pulls Derek in, wraps his arms around him and thrusts up. "I love you.  _Fuck_ , I love you so much." 

Derek tightens around Stiles, pulling the orgasm out of him before coming between the two of them, where they’re pressed together. It doesn’t get much further than their stomachs and Stiles is pressing his hips into Derek a few more times, riding out the last waves of his orgasm. 

“Jesus,” Derek says again, his hand coming up to rub over Stiles’ head. “Jesus Christ.” 

“You really want me to be Mr. Hale?” Stiles asks, pushing his fingers through Derek’s hair. 

“Yeah,” Derek says, pressing his face into Stiles’ neck like he’s embarrassed by wanting that. “If that’s okay with you.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles says, feeling warmth spreading in his chest. “Yeah. I could be into that.” 

“We’d all have the same name,” says Derek. “We’re a family.” 

Stiles wraps his arms around Derek tighter. “Yeah. We are.”

—

The next morning, Scott glares at them over breakfast. Derek cuts up pancakes and sausage for Lucy and Stiles sips his coffee while staring at the paper. Stiles' dad is still asleep in the guest room. 

"You guys could be a little quieter about your love," says Scott after a while. "I was on the f-ing couch." 

Derek snorts and Lucy laughs too even though she has no idea what's going on. 

"Sorry, Scotty," says Stiles, slapping him on the back. "We just can't help it." 

"The library is a good choice for the ceremony, though." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left! It's gonna be so sappy. Also this is the end of this series. No more. Probably.


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out I forgot that I didn't post this...or write it for that matter. 
> 
> Here. It's really short, but I like short. I love you.

"You're going to be great," Scott says, fixing Stiles' tie.

"I'm going to trip." Stiles runs a hand through his hair because he's given up on trying to make it look reasonable.

"Probably. But Derek looks so good and you look so good and--."

"Are you hitting on me right now? On my wedding day, Scott?"

"Yeah," Scott says. "Sorry. I'm in love with you and I can't stop myself."

"Damn. You should have told me earlier."

"Yeah. I'm definitely competition for the dude you're raising a child with."

Stiles is grateful that Scott can make him laugh because it eases some of the anxiety, but not enough of it.

"I think I'd feel better if Derek was here," says Stiles. "I know that I'm not supposed to see him, but we're not brides and I'm not like some pure virgin or anything."

"Do you want me to get him?"

"Yes...no...I don't know. Yes. Go get him."

Scott shakes his head like he's never been ridiculous in his life. Stiles sits in a tufted arm chair and bends over. It feels better like this. Less like he's going to pass out. It got a lot bigger than they imagined. Everyone they invited came and brought plus ones and that's fine. They wanted people. But the small ceremony is now a four hundred person ceremony and how do they even know that many people? That's insane.

"Uh, Stiles?"

Stiles looks up and Scott has the door open, Derek is already standing there. He looks so good with his beard and his perfect hair and his stupid lips. His suit is dark gray like Stiles' and his bow tie is pink and so cute. Stiles has matching pink flowers pinned to the front of his suit. 

"Hey," Derek says. "I'm freaking out." 

"Did you know I was anxious?" Stiles asks, standing up. He pulls Derek into the room and Scott leaves, but neither of them say anything to him. "Am I so anxious that you could feel it?"

Derek shakes his head. His eyes are all watery. "You look so handsome, Stiles."

"Oh my  _god_." Stiles wraps his arms around Derek because he can't even look at him. He has to sniffle so he doesn't start to cry. "You look so cute, Derek." 

"We should have just eloped," Derek says with a little laugh. "Just the two of us." 

"Now we have to do it in front of everyone." Stiles kisses the side of Derek's face and holds him tighter. "I'm going to trip." 

"Probably." 

"You and Scott. Jesus." 

"I was so nervous and you're the only person who could make me feel better." 

"Same," Stiles says. "Scott was coming to get you." 

Derek pulls away a little and presses a kiss to Stiles' lips. "We're getting married." 

"Yeah," Stiles says, resting their foreheads together. "We are." 

"At least we're doing it together." 

"We could change things up and walk down the aisle together." 

"Lydia will have a fit." 

Stiles shrugs. "We can deal with her." 

"The two of us and Lucy?" Derek asks and Stiles just about bursts into tears. 

"Yeah. That sounds perfect." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating spending my time working on a future fic with fairies and Derek wearing floral patterns and going on dates and generally being really nice to himself or working on a Changeless AU with a little bit of feral Derek. 
> 
> Also if you don't know Changeless by Gail Carriger, read it! Because it's hilarious and like really obviously a Sterek AU even if it was written before Teen Wolf. 
> 
> Also thanks for reading this shit show. I love you all so much. I can't even tell you.


End file.
